Polishing pads and planarizing machines for mechanical and/or chemical-mechanical planarization of microelectronic substrate assemblies

Abstract

Polishing pads, planarizing machines and methods for mechanical and/or chemical-mechanical planarization of semiconductor wafers, field emission displays or other microelectronic substrate assemblies. One planarizing machine of the invention is a web-format machine having a planarizing table to support a portion of the polishing pad in a planarizing zone, at least one roller to hold another portion of the polishing pad, and a carrier assembly for handling a microelectronic substrate assembly. A web-format polishing pad used with this machine can include a body having a planarizing medium, an elongated first side edge, and an elongated second side edge opposite the first side edge. The body has a length sufficient to extend across the planarizing zone and wrap around the roller. The planarizing medium can have an elongated interior region extending lengthwise along the body, an elongated first side region extending lengthwise along the first side edge, and an elongated second side region extending lengthwise along the second side edge. The polishing pad can further include a first planarizing structure in the interior region that has a first planarizing aggressiveness, and a second planarizing structure in each of the side regions having a second planarizing aggressiveness. The second planarizing aggressiveness is less than the first planarizing aggressiveness.

What is claimed is:  
     
       1. A web-format planarizing machine, comprising: 
       a stationary planarizing table having a planarizing zone;  
       at least one roller proximate to the table;  
       a carrier assembly having a head for holding a microelectronic substrate assembly, the head being moveable over the table; and  
       a polishing pad having an active section on the planarizing zone of the table and an inactive section wrapped around the roller, the polishing pad including a body having a planarizing medium, an elongated first side edge, an elongated second side edge opposite the first side edge, and a length sufficient to extend across the planarizing zone and wrap around the roller, the planarizing medium having an elongated interior region extending lengthwise along the body, an elongated first exterior side region extending lengthwise along the first side edge and an elongated second exterior side region extending lengthwise along the second side edge, the polishing pad further having a first planarizing structure in the interior region of the planarizing medium and a second planarizing structure in each of the first and second side regions of the planarizing medium, the first planarizing structure having a first planarizing aggressiveness and the second planarizing structure having a second planarizing aggressiveness less than the first planarizing aggressiveness.  
     
     
       2. The planarizing machine of  claim 1  wherein the first planarizing structure comprises a material having a first hardness and the second planarizing structure comprises a material having a second hardness, the first hardness being greater than the second hardness. 
     
     
       3. The planarizing machine of  claim 2  wherein the interior region of the planarizing medium comprises an elongated section of resin, and the first and second side regions of the planarizing medium each comprise a separate elongated section of polyurethane, the first and second side regions having the same hardness. 
     
     
       4. The planarizing machine of  claim 2  wherein the interior region of the planarizing medium comprises an elongated section of acrylic and the first and second side regions of the planarizing medium each comprise a separate elongated section of polyurethane, the first and second side regions having the same hardness. 
     
     
       5. The planarizing machine of  claim 2  wherein the first interior region of the planarizing medium comprises an elongated section of a polyester and the first and second side regions of the planarizing medium each comprise a separate elongated section of polyurethane, the first and second side regions having the same hardness. 
     
     
       6. The planarizing machine of  claim 1  wherein the first planarizing structure comprises a plurality of first trenches in the interior region of the planarizing medium and the second planarizing structure comprises a plurality of second trenches in each of the first and second side regions of the planarizing medium, the plurality of first trenches having a first volume and the plurality of second trenches having a second volume less than the first volume. 
     
     
       7. The planarizing machine of  claim 6  wherein the first trenches comprise a plurality of first grooves spaced apart from one another by a first distance and the second trenches comprise a plurality of second grooves spaced apart from one another by a second distance, the first distance being less than the second distance. 
     
     
       8. The planarizing machine of  claim 6  wherein the first trenches comprise a plurality of first grooves and the second trenches comprise a plurality of second grooves, the plurality of first grooves occupying more surface area per square meter of the planarizing medium than the plurality of second grooves. 
     
     
       9. The planarizing machine of  claim 1  wherein the first planarizing structure comprises a plurality of first depressions in the planarizing medium and the second planarizing structure comprises a plurality of second depressions in the planarizing medium, the plurality of first depressions having a first volume and the plurality of second depressions having a second volume less than the first volume. 
     
     
       10. The planarizing machine of  claim 1  wherein the first planarizing structure comprises a plurality of first abrasive particles fixedly attached to the interior region of the body and the second planarizing structure comprises a plurality of second abrasive particles fixedly attached to the first and second side regions of the body, the interior region having a higher abrasiveness than the first and second side regions. 
     
     
       11. The planarizing machine of  claim 1  wherein the first planarizing structure comprises a plurality of first abrasive particles fixedly attached to the interior region of the body and the second planarizing structure comprises a plurality of second abrasive particles fixedly attached to the first and second side regions of the body, the first abrasive particles being composed of a first material having a first abrasiveness and the second abrasive particles being composed of a second material having a second abrasiveness, the first abrasiveness being greater than the second abrasiveness. 
     
     
       12. The planarizing machine of  claim 11  wherein the first abrasive particles comprise titanium oxide particles and the second abrasive particles comprise aluminum oxide particles. 
     
     
       13. The planarizing machine of  claim 11  wherein the first abrasive particles comprise cerium oxide particles and the second abrasive particles comprise silicon oxide particles. 
     
     
       14. The planarizing machine of  claim 1  wherein the first planarizing structure comprises a plurality of first abrasive particles fixedly attached to the interior region of the body and the second planarizing structure comprises a plurality of second abrasive particles fixedly attached to the first and second side regions of the body, the first abrasive particles having a first density in the first interior region and the second abrasive particles having a second density in each of the first and second side regions, the first density being greater than the second density. 
     
     
       15. The planarizing machine of  claim 1  wherein the first planarizing structure comprises a plurality of first abrasive particles fixedly attached to the interior region of the body and the second planarizing structure comprises a plurality of second abrasive particles fixedly attached to the first and second side regions of the body, the first abrasive particles having a first height above the planarizing medium and the second abrasive particles having a second height above the planarizing medium, the first height being greater than the second height. 
     
     
       16. At The planarizing machine of  claim 1  wherein the first planarizing structure comprises a plurality of first abrasive particles fixedly attached to the interior region of the body and the second planarizing structure comprises a plurality of second abrasive particles fixedly attached to the first and second side regions of the body, the first abrasive particles having a first size and the second abrasive particles having a second size, the first size being greater than the second size.